Environment and Planning

Lauren is a highly respected lawyer, specialising in environmental and local government law, construction law and civil litigation.
 
Lauren has been involved in a variety of environmental and local government matters throughout her career. She has a broad client base and acts for local and regional authorities, individuals and families, national corporations, local businesses, iwi and PSGE, and community organisations. Her key areas of practice include:

• assisting to draft and provide advice on district and regional plan provisions; 

• project management of resource consent projects, including; with respect to large residential and coastal subdivisions; commercial developments and industrial facilities;

• minerals and petroleum development, including assisting to obtain consents for offshore installations in the coastal marine area and EEZ and with respect to access arrangements and iwi consultation; 

• acting for affected parties in opposition to consent applications;

• advising on all aspects of the Resource Management Act and Local Government Acts; 

• assisting iwi to develop environmental plans, strategies and guidelines;

• assisting developer clients to formulate and implement consultation strategies;

• appearances and advice with respect to Council Hearings, Environment Court, High Court and Board of Inquiry processes;

• prosecution and enforcement; and

• assisting to draft and providing advice on local government policies and bylaws, including; Local Alcohol Policies, Gambling Policies and Development Contribution Policies

Lauren also regularly acts for our construction clients and has considerable experience in building law and with respect to construction contract disputes and weathertight homes claims.
 
Lauren’s civil litigation experience includes appearances in the District Court and High Court involving a range of contractual disputes, lease and property disputes, debt recovery, and judicial review proceedings. She is a skilled negotiator and enjoys helping clients to find the best solutions possible to resolve disputes quickly and cost effectively. 

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Lauren is the founding member of the Taranaki branch of the Resource Management Law Association (and past president and secretary) and the honorary solicitor of the Friends of the Govett Brewster/Len Lye Centre and of Heritage Taranaki Incorporated. She is also a trustee on the Moturoa School Board of Trustees.

Lauren enjoys mountain biking, skiing and travel but generally spends most of her spare time as Mum to her young sons. She is a keen supporter of the arts and New Zealand music and a self-confessed "foodie". 

Rebecca has experience advising and representing clients on a range of resource management matters including consent and plan change applications. Rebecca has also assisted both private and public sector clients in relation to various District Plan reviews. In addition, Rebecca has experience advising and representing clients in relation to the marine consent process under the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Act.
 
Rebecca has experience advising clients on a range of local government issues including bylaws and policies, road stopping and Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act matters.
 
Rebecca also advises both employers and employees in employment law matters including individual employment agreements, restructures and redundancies, personal grievances, disciplinary meetings, mediations and hearings before the Employment Relations Authority.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Rebecca loves making the most of the beautiful Taranaki coastline and New Plymouth's thriving café scene with her family and friends. She enjoys living an active lifestyle and in her spare time can usually be found walking her dog at the beach or on one of New Plymouth's many walkways.

Heather began her career at GQ as a graduate, before heading overseas to London, and eventually spending 6 years working in the Cayman Islands. Whilst in the Cayman Islands, Heather was most recently a Senior Associate at Appleby (Cayman Limited) where she was part of the Dispute Resolution Team, working on fund disputes, commercial litigation and a range of insolvency and restructuring matters.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

You will usually find Heather, her husband and two young sons at the beach, hiking or enjoying one of Taranaki’s many playgrounds.

Jaye is currently developing a wide range of experience within employment law, civil litigation, and resource management.

While studying, Jaye enjoyed being a volunteer caseworker at the Community Law Centre, and also gained experience in the employment law sphere.

Jaye has spent time living in the UK and has worked in a range of industries both prior to and during her university studies.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Jaye spends a lot of her free time in the gym and competes in bodybuilding in the NZIFBB. Jaye also enjoys exploring the beautiful Taranaki region, particularly the beaches and walkways.

Jaye is also the secretary of the Taranaki Branch of the Resource Management Law Association.

Alison received her BA in Law with first class honours from Cambridge University and received the Henigson Human Rights Fellowship from Harvard Law School for her LLM masters in law. She began her career in war crimes investigations with the United Nations International Tribunals, covering cases in Rwanda, the former Yugoslavia, Cambodia, and various countries throughout the Middle East and the African continent. Alison moved back to Aotearoa New Zealand to work as a Special Advisor on human rights for a commission of inquiry with the Department of Internal Affairs in 2017.

Throughout her career, Alison has worked on matters concerning land law and environmental protection. She has assisted in legal matters related to coastal management including the foreshore and seabed, and previously taught maritime law at Hong Kong University. Alison also has experience in freshwater management, working with her hapū on water monitoring and local government engagement plans. Alison is particularly passionate about climate law and recently travelled to the Paris Agreement negotiations in Glasgow for COP26.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Alison is uri of Ngāruahine (Ngāti Tū), Ngāti Ruanui (Ngāti Tupaea), and Taranaki Whānui. She is passionate about te reo Māori and advancing tikanga-based partnerships. Alison loves everything on the ocean. She is an avid surfer, scuba diver, and kayaker along her with her dog Kurī, and one day hopes to complete a Pacific Ocean crossing use Te Kapehu Whetū.

Sade has a Law and Arts degree in History, English and Māori and Indigenous Studies.

Before starting at GQ she worked for the Morrinsville Family Courts and enjoyed her time as the sole Registrar. It was here where she realised an interest for family law in particular, as she found a passion for the wellbeing of children and their families.

Sade is experienced in Court advocacy and regularly appears in the Family Court on matters concerning the Care of Children Act 2004, Family Violence Act 2018 and Oranga Tamariki Act 1989. She also has experience with relationship matters under the Property (Relationships) Act 1976.

In the area of Resource Management, Sade has assisted in advising local government and clients in the renewable energy and oil & gas sectors.

As part of our Te Tira Hau Ture team, Sade enjoys empowering our Maori clients with the information and tools they require to achieve their objectives. Some of this work includes Maori Land Court matters, succession matters, Māori Trusts and Māori land issues.

Sade is passionate about the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori and its place in New Zealand’s identity. In 2021, Sade completed a full year Te Reo Māori course through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Sade is from Nelson and is a proud Southerner and Crusaders fan. She is very connected with her Iwi and the relevant entities across Te Tau Ihu (Top of the South Island). Law runs in the family with Sade’s brother, Kristin, also a Lawyer at GQ.

Sade has been the Te Tai Hauauru (Taranaki) co-representative for Te Hunga Rōia Māori o Aotearoa (Maori Law Society) since late 2020. In this role, she occasionally works alongside the New Zealand Law Society.

Sade is also a voluntary advisor at the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, and as a member of the Taranaki Young Professionals, completed an internship with Taranaki Cricket Association as a Board Intern for 2021.

Sade enjoys exploring the outdoors and the beautiful landscape Taranaki has to offer. She enjoys connecting and catching up with friends, whānau over food or sport. Now a proud Taranaki first-home owner, you might see Sade out and about with her beagle pup - Benji!

Robyn has a strong background in Real Estate, having worked as a Licensed Real Estate Salesperson for over twelve years in the Taranaki Region. Robyn’s time in Real Estate has given her many skills she can utilise in her Legal Support Role with the Resource Management, Litigation, and Employment Teams at Govett Quiliam.

Outside of Govett Quilliam

Originally from Queenstown, Robyn moved to New Plymouth twenty years ago after travelling and living in various countries. When Robyn isn’t heading outdoors for some hiking, skiing, or snorkelling, you might find her cooking up a storm or enjoying a good book.